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Spatial dynamics of a hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) population at different densities

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Abstract

The dynamics of socio-spatial organisation are little investigated in dormice (Gliridae), a specific group among small mammals. During 2007–2017, 668 adult individuals were captured in a hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) population in Lithuania, with the home ranges calculated for 134 males and 62 females. Over the study period, the abundance of the population gradually declined, and it was categorised into three groups: (1) high (1.2–1.4 adults/ha), (2) medium (0.9–1.0 adults/ha) and (3) low (0.4–0.7 adults/ha). When population abundance changed from high to low, the average sizes of home ranges increased from 1.4 ± 0.6 to 2.1 ± 1.2 ha in males and from 0.8 ± 0.5 to 1.1 ± 0.4 ha in females, while the total overlap of home ranges decreased from 57 ± 28 to 35 ± 23% in males and from 77 ± 27 to 44 ± 32% in females. Home ranges of marked individuals changed in consecutive years. In males, the average displacement of the centres of the home ranges was 58 ± 21 m, 75 ± 52 m and 73 ± 39 m at high, medium and low densities, respectively. The dynamics of the spatial relations in the investigated hazel dormouse population are consistent with the general tendency of home ranges to increase when population density decreases. However, the spatial organisation of population is more stable and potentially less related to the dynamics of food resources in comparison with other forest-dwelling small mammals.

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Acknowledgements

Two anonymous reviewers made valuable comments on earlier versions of the manuscript. J. Stratford revised the English of the manuscript and G. Vaitonis helped in the preparation of figures.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Nature Research Centre, Akademijos 2, LT-08412, Vilnius, Lithuania

    Rimvydas Juškaitis & Linas Balčiauskas

  2. Life Sciences Centre, Vilnius University, Saulėtekio 7, LT-10257, Vilnius, Lithuania

    Karolis Keturka

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  1. Rimvydas Juškaitis
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  2. Karolis Keturka
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  3. Linas Balčiauskas
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Correspondence to Rimvydas Juškaitis.

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Communicated by: Magdalena Niedziałkowska

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Juškaitis, R., Keturka, K. & Balčiauskas, L. Spatial dynamics of a hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) population at different densities. Mamm Res 65, 49–58 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13364-019-00452-3

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